Problem: The Add Field and Delete Field options are inactive in the attribute table

Description

The Table Options in ArcMap include the options to add or delete fields from a table. In some situations, these options are inactive (grayed out).

Note:
The Add Field and Delete Field options are only available when user has the write access to the data and the data in ArcMap and ArcCatalog is not accessed by other users or applications.

Cause

The following are several possible causes for the Add Field and Delete Field options to be inactive.

The Add Field and Delete Field options are inactive during the editing session. This is by design.

The MXD file is corrupted.

Solution or Workaround

Depending on the cause, use one of the following solutions:

During the editing session (Active Edit session) To resolve this issue, stop the editing session in the map document. Click the Editor button in the Editor toolbar, and select Stop Editing. The Add Field and Delete Field options are now available and can be used to add or delete fields.

Corrupted MXD file In the event of a corrupted MXD file, open a new map document and add the layer to the map. The Add Field and Delete Field options are no longer inactive.